Editorial: No more excuses, Centre must restore J&K statehood

While the Kashmiris have reconciled to the reality of the irreversibility of the abrogation of Article 370, they very much expect the restoration of statehood, which is their rightful due

The growing restiveness in Jammu & Kashmir over the delay in restoring the statehood is quite understandable. With the elected government already in place and the security situation firmly under control, there is no justification for further postponement. Following the successful conduct of Assembly elections, Omar Abdullah returned as Chief Minister in October last year, marking a new beginning and raising hopes of stable governance and a genuine sense of empowerment for the people of the trouble-torn region. It must be said to the credit of Abdullah that he has been non-confrontational and pragmatic in his approach so far. The people of J&K are yearning for a return to full-fledged statehood which would give them a sense of genuine empowerment. Since August 5, 2019, Jammu & Kashmir has been reduced to the status of a Union Territory. It was on this day Article 370 was repealed and the State divided into two Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The NDA government must now walk the talk and restore statehood, a promise made by it on several occasions in the past. On his part, Abdullah, a dyed-in-the-wool politician who has weathered many a storm, must realise that pragmatism alone is the way forward in the changed political dynamics. He and his National Conference (NC) leaders are aware of the impracticality of the demand for restoration of the special status. Article 370 is now a thing of the past.

The people of J&K have moved on. They want unhindered development and political empowerment at the grassroots, as reflected by enthusiastic voter turnout during the elections. There has been a paradigm shift in J&K’s politics in the last 10 years. The Centre needs to strike a balance between security concerns and the aspirations of the people of Jammu & Kashmir, who cutting across all regions, want the statehood restored. This can be very much possible. The Centre can work out a J&K-specific arrangement to restore the statehood while retaining control over the security apparatus. While the Kashmiris have reconciled to the reality of the irreversibility of the abrogation of Article 370, they very much expect the restoration of statehood, which is their rightful due. In fact, not only the Kashmiris, but people from all regions, including Jammu, want the statehood restored. The Chief Minister knows very well that not only does he need to run the Union Territory, but he also has to get back the full statehood, which he has prioritised over the restoration of Article 370. Unfortunately, the BJP central leadership has not been very cooperative on this front, beyond giving vague assurance that the statehood will be restored in due course of time. The more the delay the more difficult it would be for Abdullah to explain to his people as to why the restoration of statehood is getting delayed.

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